Getting Back On Track With Your Weight Loss



When it comes to weight loss, "tomorrow" is the most dangerous word in the English language. If you're serious about losing weight, and not seeing the results you'd like, it's time to stop living the way you've been living. The price you pay is very high for the cheap thrill that food gives you. In the end, it might even cost you your health. How you're living today directly affects your tomorrow. So, what will you do differently?

I receive emails seeking advice, all too often, from people with a habit of doing a week or two of strict, metabolic boosting eating and then falling off the weight loss wagon into a pile of cookies or store-bought protein bars. They want to know what they can do to stick to the plan, or should they even try. The first thing I tell them is the reason most people fall is that they think they need to be perfect with their eating. It's important to understand that perfection does not exist. 

Most of us fall because we become too legalistic about our diets. Rather, our diets should be treated as a habit of making better choices, requiring us to decide what our actions will be. This makes us responsible for our actions, and the outcomes.

You know the old saying; "If you keep doing what you've always done you'll just keep getting the same results. To expect anything different is the very definition of insanity." Quite honestly, there is a lot of insanity surrounding the foods that will keep you from reaching your goals. 

Have you ever told yourself; "I'll just have a little"? Sorry to say it, but that little bit is what's stopping you from reaching your goals. 

It's at these very times to remind yourself that perfection does not exist. Focus on daily progress, not daily perfection. You have more control than you think when it comes to making food choices. But if you keep falling off the wagon, it's possible you may need a few tools to help keep you on track.

These tools make losing weight faster and easier because they:

    • Help kill hunger and cravings that cause you to fall off-plan
    • Boost metabolism by 25 percent, so you burn more calories all day long, even while asleep. This is especially important when you decide to go off-plan because it will help keep you from gaining weight.
    • Block cortisol (stress hormones) levels from rising, which helps prevent weight gain in the belly, hips, and thighs. Blocking cortisol is more important than you think. Stress causes your body to produce excess cortisol levels, and the only way to melt belly fat is by reducing these levels. It's not an easy job and the very reason you need to attack belly fat with a 1, 2, 3 punch.

STEP #1: BOOST METABOLISM AND BLOCK CORTISOL LEVELS

Drink a LynFit Complete Protein Shake 12 hours after your last meal. Do not add fruit or any type of milk if you're trying to lose a pound a day. Remember, it's all about replacements and better choices, so swap out your high-sugar juice or yogurt for this instead. 

Looking for a delicious shake recipe that will not only tantalize your taste buds but rev up your metabolism as well? Look no further — here's my Melt Belly Fat Birthday Cake Smoothie:

(3 scoops) LynFit Vanilla Complete Whey Protein Powder
(½ cup) Water
(3–4) Ice cubes

Throw it all in the blender and mix until smooth and then drink yourself thin. The extra protein used will help keep you feeling fuller longer and won't spike blood sugar levels the way fruit and milk will.

STEP #2: KILL HUNGER AND CRAVINGS

Belly fat makes you hungrier, so the faster you lose it; the faster you'll be able to lose overall weight. You need to flip the hunger switch off and trick your body into acting like a thin person by teaching and encouraging it to burn fat for fuel instead of overwhelming you with hunger pangs. 

This is where the smart use of safe supplements comes in. If you don't struggle with hunger and cravings, you may not need supplements. But if you've been trying to lose weight, and no matter what you do you can't seem to stay on track because of hunger pangs and cravings, then you may need a little outside help.

Taking a supplement stack is the best way to keep your metabolism from slowing down while killing cravings and hunger pangs. This makes it easier to stay on track with your weight loss. The secret is they balance blood sugar levels while providing natural energy. 

This particular stack teaches your body how to burn fat as fuel when it needs energy vs. sending you hunger signals. Your metabolism will become a high-efficiency fat burning machine. Trust me, if you skip them, you'll see and feel the difference. 

The best time to take this stack is three hours after your last meal, when your body starts yelling, "I'm hungry!"

Sip green tea instead of indulging yourself in your usual snack and take your supplements to balance blood sugar levels instead. 

One note — This step is not good for people with less than 10 percent body fat because they will burn muscle for fuel instead of fat. But if you have body fat to lose you have energy stored that can be used instead.

Here is your supplement stack:
  • LynFit Accelerator with Raspberry Ketones to accelerate the process and trick your body into acting like a thin person. A lean person will burn fat more efficiently. (If you're highly sensitive to caffeine you may want to skip the Accelerator. The stack will still give you what you need, so follow the steps without Accelerator.)
  • LynFit Carb Edge with Forskolin to help enhance thyroid function and balance blood sugar levels, which is the secret to killing your cravings and managing hunger.
  • LynFit Cutting Edge to force your body to burn off that stubborn body fat for fuel.

    STEP #3: AVOID THE AFTERNOON ENERGY CRASH TO ESCAPE CRAVINGS BEFORE THEY BEGIN

    This step is critical because it will not only boost your metabolism, it will also help fight off those emotional cravings that we all battle in the afternoon when we start to get tired and our blood sugar levels begin to rise.

    This is actually where most people fall off the weight loss wagon. But, it's also where your weight loss battle can be won. I call this the "Emo Meal" — meaning emotional, when you're hungry, tired, and craving food.

    PREVENTION is the cure, so grab a LynFit Lean Bar to defeat the afternoon energy crash.

    The LynFit Lean Bar has 10 grams of prebiotic fiber and 15 grams of protein to kill cravings before they begin while helping to keep you feeling full. LynFit Lean Bars are guaranteed to be the best tasting protein bar you've ever tried and #1 in its class when it comes to weight loss and melting belly fat. Try one; you'll see.

    Most store-bought bars are full of sugar and don't supply your body with the right type or amount of protein. They spike blood sugar levels and prevent you from losing weight, despite what their labels may claim.

    Make LynFit Lean Bars your go-to comfort food from now on when trying to lose weight. Comfort in knowing you're making a smart, nutrient-dense food choice that doesn't sacrifice delicious taste and texture.  LynFit Lean Bars are the best of both worlds — they don't leave you with any guilt, only satisfaction that you'll begin to crave. You can eat your new comfort meal food with pride and get on with your day.

    This will be especially important if you're an emotional eater. Choosing the wrong kinds of snack foods can increase hunger and cravings and turn the weight gain switch on. Swap out those store-bought protein bars with a LynFit Lean Bar instead.

    Should you find yourself unable to suppress the urge to eat junk food, adopt the 80/20 rule. You're already following it; you just don't know it. 

    For the most part, you're eating your favorite foods every couple of weeks — it's inevitable. It's going to happen, and you should expect it. So, the best solution is to plan it ahead of time. If you plan for it ahead of time, you can cheat and still lose weight. Have a little pep talk with yourself. Sit down and tell yourself to try the 80/20 plan. 

    On the Advanced Metabolic Boosting Meal Plan, you can eat on plan 80 percent of the time and go off the plan 20 percent of the time and still lose weight. That's the beauty of this plan. In fact, this is the only plan that takes into consideration that you live in the real world, you're human, and that you cheat once in a while.

    Planning in advance when you cheat also puts you in control of the binge vs. the binge controlling you. It also changes how you emotionally respond to a binge—no guilt, because it's all a part of your weight loss plan. You'll accept the situation, not struggle in vain against it. You'll eat less and know exactly what to eat, and how much. The scale will go up slightly, but you'll be back on track in no time. 

    Although there are physiological consequences to binging on junk food, I'd wager that most of the damage comes from the stress we inflict on ourselves—the internal fight and refusal, which only causes us to binge more. The refusal to accept the inevitable situation, combined with the guilt and shame you're piling on yourself for losing that fight.

    Here's what the 80/20 plan get you: Acceptance! You learn to accept things you cannot change. You're no longer fighting a battle you most likely cannot win. 

    I can't think of anything harder or more stressful than struggling with food. I've struggled with it my entire life until I learned about the 80/20 rule. 

    You can live guilt-free. Guilt about eating junk food can actually cause you to gain weight and depress your immune system. By making a plan to "go off" for a meal as an occasional (1–2 times weekly) deviation from your regular schedule, rather than betraying your body, you remove the guilt. Make a plan, if you plan on losing.

    I would encourage you to read this article I wrote previously about how to cheat and still lose weight to keep your metabolism in full swing, and how if you don't, it can alter the physiological effect it has on you. 

    As Kelly Clarkson says in her song: "Think Before You Cheat" so you don't hurt your health or destroy a month's worth of dieting. Most of the time it's not worth it anyway. 

    So, eat happily, just don't' forget to boost first! 

    Learning From The "Biggest Losers" Who Couldn't Maintain Weight Loss

    If you’re like me, and have been overweight in your lifetime, you know all too well what a struggle it is to keep the weight off. Losing the weight is the easy part. Keeping the weight off is a whole new metabolic boosting ball game.

    There has been a lot of controversy about the "Biggest Losers" not being able to maintain their weight loss. I’m going to help separate fact from media hype, so this doesn’t happen to you. I'm going to fill you in on what the stories don't say that you need to know if you’re serious about losing weight and keeping it off for good.

    Rule #1 is don’t believe everything you read or see on television. For the most part, just about everything you read or see on television is paid for by a sponsor who wants to sell you the alternative methods that are most likely medical procedures you need to keep the weight off.

    I’ve struggled and have all the metabolic disadvantages possible; from hypothyroid to being menopausal, combined with the fact that I love food and live to eat (I think I'm the world’s biggest food addict). All this made losing weight and keeping it off difficult, but not impossible. I was depressed and stuck in every area of my life, but I found that when my food is in order, my whole life falls into order.

    There are simple all-natural, highly effective and convenient solutions that anyone can do to lose weight, and if they continue, will keep it off. These simple solutions are a lot less expensive than living overweight, not to mention the emotional price.

    The toughest part is dealing with denial. Denial will keep you stuck, allowing faulty thinking and fear to kick in, keeping you stuck exactly where you are. Bear in mind that whatever takes the weight off is also what keeps the weight off for good. Whatever weight loss method you choose needs to be sustainable for life.

    Don't let that last sentence scare you. I remember hearing that and thinking, "how long do I need to drink these shakes, take these supplements, and eat like this?" A funny thing happened, however; once I reached my goal weight. For the first time in my life I didn’t want to go back to my old ways of eating. I not only surpassed my goal weight (I was 40 pounds heavier) but also felt better emotionally and had more energy, so I got off the couch. What you see today is a by-product of that weight loss.

    Below is what you need to know when reading media reports when it comes to exercise and the "Biggest Losers." I have worked closely with a few "Biggest Loser" contestants, and I can tell you firsthand they struggled because they didn’t have a livable, reliable, sustainable lifestyle in place.

    DILEMMA: "Biggest Losers" relied mostly on excessive, joint-damaging exercise every day that is not practical in real life.

    The "Biggest Loser" contestants worked out for at least five hours daily, allowing them to eat more calories without slowing their metabolism down. In real life when you have family and a full-time job you can’t work out for five hours. Even if you could, it's damaging to your joints and you shouldn’t. Everything is about balance, starting with eating enough of the right foods.

    As a weight loss specialist, I specifically suggest metabolic boosting foods to offset your dead metabolism instead of eating whatever you want. Often the foods you insist on eating are the very foods that initially caused you to gain weight. There are also the health halo foods that cause weight gain. For instance, did you know that if you have hypothyroidism, kale can inhibit your thyroid, making it even harder to lose weight? People are adding kale to their diets, juicing excessive amounts, and even adding it to their protein shakes because the media says to do so.

    The bottom line is that things aren’t always as they seem. For the "Biggest Losers", it's not that losing weight affected their ability to keep it off. It's more the reality that they could not continue doing the unrealistic steps that the show had them doing to take the weight off.

    DILEMMA: "Biggest Losers" ate more calories than most of us can because they were over-exercising.

    In a perfect world this would work fine—eat what you want and exercise it off in the gym. In the real world, it’s just not realistic.

    I’ve suffered from this issue. As a trainer and bodybuilder, I ate super healthy yet didn’t lose an ounce. Looking in the rearview mirror, I can be honest and say I was an exercise addict, and this will not work when you're trying to lose weight or maintain weight loss. At some point, your joints can’t take the stress from that excessive amount of exercise, so you have to cut back to a normal, more realistic amount. When this happens, it must also be remembered to cut back on the eating as well.

    I don’t know about you, but the days I don’t exercise are the days that I tend to eat the worst, making this the perfect set up for weight gain. It’s not the weight loss that was the problem for the "Biggest Losers", it’s faulty thinking that stops them from achieving their sustainable goals and living a leaner lifestyle.

    There are five facts you need to know to lose weight (1 pound a day) and keep it off for life.

      • Fact: If you have been, or are overweight, your metabolism is negatively affected and slower.
      • Fact: If you go back to your old ways of eating and drinking you will gain the weight back.
      • Fact: If you are over 40, have diabetes, or are hypothyroid (it’s even worse if you're female), losing weight is harder for you due to your metabolism being slower.
      • Fact: If you can pinch more than an inch of belly fat, losing weight will be difficult for you and will require an aggressive approach vs. the old-fashioned, outdated methods of losing weight slowly.
      • Fact: You can’t starve yourself or exercise the weight away, or rely on surgical procedures such as LAP BAND® or gastric bypass to fix the problem.

    The bottom line is you’ve got to set yourself up for lasting weight loss success by living a leaner lifestyle.

    There are some foolproof ways that are backed by science that will help keep your metabolism running at an optimal speed, so you lose 1 pound a day and keep it off for life if you continue to do what it takes. Just because you lose weight doesn’t mean your metabolism is fixed. It simply means you found the right way of eating to make it work. So why would you ever consider stopping?

    Think of it this way: If you found a way to make money, and it began working and changed your life, why would you stop? If you stopped working at that job you would also stop making money. Weight loss is no different.

    It's a very emotional journey, and this is what the media conveniently leaves out. One of my favorite sayings from Overeaters Anonymous is, "It works if you continue to work it.” As a metabolic expert, I can tell you that in 25+ years I've never met a person whose body would not let them lose weight, no matter what they were dealing with.

    The real question is will that person do what it takes? It’s not a case of "will it work?" It's a case of are they willing to do it and how badly do they want it. I wish someone had told me that while I was overweight and struggling. It would have saved me a lot of frustration and despair. I missed a lot of my life because I hated myself and my body. That’s why I created the Metabolic Boosting Lose 1 Pound Per Day Kit. I want to be the change you seek, and I want to make losing weight faster, easier, and permanent!

    There's more hope than you think, and here's why.....

    Step One on the LynFit System is to drink a LynFit Complete Protein Shake to boost your metabolism by 25 percent. This offsets the slow metabolism issues most of us struggle with. It's what makes the LynFit Complete Protein Shake different from all the rest. It tastes unbelievably delicious while most of the other shakes you find on store shelves are yucky tasting, so you don’t want to drink them. The high quality of whey used in LynFit shakes (LynFit uses a minimum of 80 percent whey compared to other shakes that use 25 percent or less) makes it metabolic boosting while blocking cortisol (a hormone that's secreted when you are under stress). This is something that vegan shakes or lower quality shakes will never do.

    You do need to cut calories to successfully lose weight, and this calorie-cutting can slow your metabolism. However, every time you drink a LynFit metabolic boosting Complete Protein Shake or eat a LynFit Lean Bar you trick your body into thinking you've just eaten a big meal. In turn, your metabolism speeds up, keeping you from regaining the weight you've lost. When it comes to your metabolism and weight loss, you have to boost it to lose it. Keep in mind however that not all shakes will do what a LynFit shake does. LynFit Shakes and Lean Bars are specifically designed for this very purpose.

    I couldn’t lose weight easily, no matter how hard or how much I worked out. I learned from the pros how to take it a step further since I live in the real world and can’t live five hours a day in the gym. I learned that the smart use of safe supplements to naturally boost my metabolism was another bullet in my leaner lifestyle holster. You too can follow the steps below to further enhance your weight loss or weight maintenance.

    STEP #1: Drink a LynFit Complete Protein Shake 12 hours after your last meal, and take (1) LynFit Accelerator with Raspberry Ketones to trick your body into acting like a thin person. This will help force your body to burn fat, basically accelerating the entire process. If needed, you can take another LynFit Accelerator at lunch as well. For rapid results, blend it right into your LynFit Complete Protein Shake.

    STEP #2: Kill cravings and lower blood sugar with LynFit Carb Edge. Balancing blood sugar is the secret to losing weight and keeping cravings away. Have you ever noticed the more you eat, the more you want to? LynFit Carb Edge kills these cravings within 30 minutes or less of taking it. This is especially important if you have belly fat, diabetes, or high blood sugar (pre-diabetes). I suggest taking (1) LynFit Carb Edge mid-morning and another one mid-afternoon.

    STEP #3: Force your body to burn fat, helping reduce hunger. When your body is burning fat for fuel, it won’t ask you to feed it. This also helps reduce belly fat, which makes losing weight harder because it secretes hormones that cause your body to store fat instead of burning it. To offset this, I suggest taking (3) LynFit Cutting Edge daily. Take one with your LynFit Complete Protein Shake for breakfast and another at lunch and mid-afternoon. Taking LynFit Cutting Edge helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, which play a role in metabolic syndrome, so your doctor will be happy.

    Complete details on LynFit safe supplementing and metabolic boosting meal plans can be found in the LynFit Quick Start Guide and Advanced Metabolic Boosting Meal Plan.

    There are more ways to make sure your metabolic engine stays running at an optimal pace 24 hours a day. Of course, food is 90 percent of your weight loss success, so if you're not losing you’re not eating the right food for your metabolic engine. Be sure to read more on thermogenic eating and what foods are thermogenic, as well as irresistibly delicious thermogenic recipes in The Metabolism Solution.

    If you’re serious about reshaping your body and boosting your metabolism with the right kind of exercise, be sure to check out my metabolic boosting workouts while you’re reading. They are only 30 minutes in length and can be broken up into shorter sessions to suit your lifestyle. You’ll not only transform your body; you will keep getting better, even as you age.

    Are you ready to lose that weight for good? Thousands, just like you, already have. They've not only lost the weight, but they've kept it off while living a normal life.

    Real people like Lisa, Sam, Vanessa, and Teresa below. You can do it!

    Believe. Begin. Become.

    Are You Sabotaging Your Weight Loss?

    Are You Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

    How many of you are where you want to be physically, financially or emotionally? You have more control over your situation than you think. If you don't wish to be stuck right where you are sitting at this very moment, then it's decision time.

    Your future depends on this one thing—You making the decision to do something about it. It's that simple.

    In my 25 years as a fitness and metabolic expert, I've seen thousands of people beg for transformation. They fail to start their radical transformation with a concrete plan or even worse; they choose a plan that caters to their issues or addictions. This lack of a real plan is why they stay stuck where they are and never see the changes of their dreams. If you're struggling with weight loss, health or financial issues, I urge you to surrender to a new way of thinking that will transform every aspect of your life.

    Change begins with our thoughts. Our thoughts become our actions so if you're living fearfully, you're never going to get where you want to go. You must detox your thinking first. If you find that you're getting stuck on a particular road in your life, realize that your solution will come from deep within, where you hear God's voice. This stagnation may be what's keeping you engaged in self-sabotaging behaviors such as overeating, drinking, lack of sleep, excessive spending, or not working out. 

    Here are signs that show you are getting in your way and holding yourself back:

    You Think You're Not Good Enough
    Low self-esteem is one of the most common hurdles, and it kills dreams dead in its tracks. 

    I watch people struggle with believing they aren't good enough, which brings us to the core issue—Love or fear. If you haven't learned how to love yourself, you're operating in fear. And what do you do when you're afraid? You freeze and hide vs. starting that healthy eating or workout. Habits we've been talking about for years. Or, you fail to apply for that promotion you desperately want or give up on dating because you don't think you're pretty enough. Bottom line—Fear keeps you from trying your hardest or at times, stopped you from trying at all. I'm living proof that miracles exist. I didn't think I would lose the 40 pounds that were making me depressed and miserable, despite the fact that I had helped thousands of people lose weight and get in tip top shape. I thought good things only happened other people. I believed it would never happen to me. Talk about stinking thinking. The truth is, it's just an excuse that we think will allow us to save face if our miracle doesn't happen for us.

    You're A Procrastinator
    Procrastination is another form of self-sabotage that is very common among perfectionists. 

    Perfectionists think if they can't do it perfectly, why do it at all? The problem is, perfectionism leads to procrastination that paralyzes us. We get stuck in a place we hate, overthinking everything. Overthinkers are scared they will make a mistake so they come up with every reason they can't do something or why something might go wrong. They come up with plans to counter these issues and the next thing they know, they're allowing their thoughts to dictate why they shouldn't try. This is known as a “negative feedback loop” that kills dreams and swallows them whole.

    The result of all of this stinking thinking is they end up overwhelmed and procrastinate some more. Focus on progress instead of perfection and realize that done is better than none and perfection doesn't exist.

    You're Stuck in the Negative Feedback Loop (the Bermuda triangle of emotions)
    The negative feedback loop is one of the biggest problems yet rarely do we hear it discussed.

    The negative feedback loop is negative self-talk brought up from the past. It is self-defeating and causes you to get in your way. Unfortunately, this past self-talk becomes a negative self-fulfilling prophecy that keeps you stuck where you are. Especially true when it comes to working out. You may have said this to yourself before, ”I should have worked out harder” or “the person next to me looks better,” because you have so much more weight to lose. This stinking thinking and negative thoughts destroy dreams and goals on the spot, like a nuclear weapon. 

    At times, we will do amazing rings for our bodies; like spending a fortune on the latest trend, yet when it comes to our thoughts, we allow them to be toxic. Those toxic thoughts kill any positive behavior before it even has a chance. I always suggest that people not deny their real feelings, but rather learn how to fake it until you make it.

    Watch your thoughts. They become your actions and actions dictate outcomes. Success doesn't happen by chance. Anything you do will always beat doing nothing.

    You Set Goals that are Unrealistic or Too Easy
    Believe it or not, it's possible to set your goals too high or too low.

    I learned while working with the Martha Stewart's of the world that for many people if the bar isn't set high enough, they lose interest. People need to be stimulated a little to become engaged. Most times, I see the bar being set too low rather than setting unrealistic goals. 

    Most of us are smart enough not to start an exercise plan on a day where we have dental surgery, or a food plan when we're going to stay at a relative's house. Setting goals too high or too low is another way of sabotaging ourselves. Figure out what makes you tick and set your goals according to what's best for you. We're all different, and one big thing I can share with you from working with celebrities and CEOS is they like to be pushed. Most work better under pressure because it keeps them engaged and alert, meaning they're paying attention. Their goal is always in the front of them. Always keep your eye on the goal. When you lose sight of your goal, you'll fall. 

    This is an easy pattern to break. Write your goals out ten times every night on a sticky note and place them in the house, car, anywhere you will bump into it. Don't forget the refrigerator and your desk, reminding you why you don't want to eat that candy that's sitting there. 

    You Allow Excuses to Get in the Way
    Another huge self-sabotaging behavior is making excuses, or worse, allowing them to get in the way of achieving your goals. 

    The truth is we aren't taking responsibility for our actions, which in turn, keeps us from being disappointed when we don't get our way or things don't happen fast enough. In a sense, we're saying, “Oh well, it's not my fault. I can't do it. It's impossible." Exercise is the place this shows up the most. We use the excuse we don't have the time or we are hurt, but the fact of the matter is if your knee hurts you can always do upper body or stretch. Successful people look at the word impossible and see; I'm possible.

    You're Surrounded by Toxic, Negative-Thinking People
    My father used to say, "show me your friends and I'll show you who you are." 

    We might not have a choice when it comes to family, but we do have a choice when it comes to choosing our friends. People are like elevators; they either lift you up or bring you down. When you surround yourself with people who don't add anything to your life or support your goals, it hurts you and drains your motivation.

    Many of us are afraid to be alone and rationalize why we need these people in our lives. It all comes back to one thing—Fear. We believe that the needs of others are more important than our needs. Evaluate how you feel after you spend time with certain people in your life. Your mood will tell you a lot about whether this person is good for you. If you feel drained or stressed rather than inspired and fulfilled or energized, it might be time to dial back on the relationship. 


    I live by the advice of Joyce Meyer, “If you can positively affect the people you're with you are meant to be around them. If they infect you, it may be time to stay away." This includes family. Sometimes they can be the worst when it comes to sidetracking you from your goals. Wait until you feel strong enough to do what you need to do for you. In healthy relationships, all support each other's goals vs. sabotaging them. If you have a friend that only likes to drink and eat out, hit pause and watch your life transform.

    Wrong Thoughts and Faulty Thinking Affect our Behavior
    Our thoughts have been programmed into us since birth. Sometimes they aren't the best way to think.

    Our thoughts lead to our actions or inactions that keep us stuck right where we are. The sad part is, these thoughts can influence us for our lifetime. One simple negative weight comment heard long ago from a person of influence can alter the way you see yourself forever.

    I was told as a young girl that I needed to be thin, and I believed that until I changed my thoughts by practicing positive thinking. It took me decades to unlearn this type of thinking. I still struggle to this day with poor body image because of these hurtful comments. It's just as easy to choose a positive thought as it is to choose negative one. Choose positivity and don't let anyone tell you who you are. You are God's child. Begin to see yourself the way He sees you. This new way of seeing myself has been a game-changer. His (God's) opinion is the only one I care about.

    You're Trying to Fit in vs. Being Yourself
    You would think peer pressure would stop after the teenage years, but it lasts throughout adulthood.

    Peer pressure is a powerful thing. It's important to keep your eyes on yourself vs. comparing to someone else. Resist the pull to give in. Especially true when it comes to making healthy choices. Try this test—The next time you dine out with friends and everyone is ordering burgers, fries and drinks and complaining about being overweight and struggling with health issues, try something new and stick to your plan. Watch how quickly they switch their order or try to get you to go off your plan “just this one night” as if cheating was a bonding ritual.

    It's difficult to be the person who orders salads, but even more difficult to get on the scale Monday morning and watch the pounds go up. Both scenarios are hard. Choose your hard. Keep in mind that it's not their business what you order or don't order, and your choices shouldn't affect your friends. Real friends encourage their friends to follow their heart and eat salads with you.

    You Expect the Worst to Protect Yourself
    Expecting the worst is another form of self-sabotage and self-preservation.

    If you don't demand or expect more out of relationships then you aren't risking anything. You may be thinking you're protecting yourself but you may actually be scaring Mr. Right away, or chasing away the job you really want. 

    When it comes to reaching your fitness and weight loss goals it's just as bad. You think it will stop you from being let down, but what it does is prevent you from even making any effort at all. Not trying will certainly leave you being stuck. You may have built up a layer of protection to ensure that you will never be hurt or let down again, and no one can blame you. What you'll find is that most people won't fight their way through your protective layers, and it gets lonely after a while. You basically pull the pins out of the bombs so that they won't go off in your face. However, you might be stopping yourself from reaching your goals. Live by what Brene Brown says, "Show up and allow yourself to be vulnerable. It takes courage but you can do it."

    You Stop When You Start to See Results
    A lot of people I meet say. “ I lost xxxx” or "I used to….."  To be honest, “I used to” is another one of my pet peeves. It doesn't matter what you used to do, it matters what you're still doing. 

    It's consistency and frequency that gets lasting results and if you're living the lifestyle you don't “go off” it because it's a holiday or you don't feel like doing it. Would you ever think of not brushing your teeth for a few days? That's the way we need to treat eating healthy and exercising in order for change to last. I've witnessed too many people that set goals and worked hard to reach them only to demand less of themselves. They get sloppy.

    The truth is, diets and exercise plans don't stop working, we stop doing what it takes and demanding less and less from ourselves. Staying 100 percent committed is the secret sauce. It's critical that you continue to set goals in every area of your life and continue to strive to reach them.

    From my 25 plus years as a weight loss, fitness expert, and success coach, I've seen that either you continue to keep growing or you die. The solution to all of these issues is skillpower, not willpower. Stay on task and don't ever allow your excuses to win you out. The one thing I love most about fitness and exercise is that you get out of it exactly what you put into it—Guaranteed. You will never be sorry you worked out or ate clean, but you'll always feel bad if you don’t. In my entire career I've never seen anyone say, “Wow I'm sorry I worked out and ate clean." Every second of every day there is someone who is sorry they didn’t.

    Your new way of thinking is: Anything is possible and obstacles are nothing more than opportunities.